


Yours Truly

by CovinskyTrash (orphan_account)



Category: To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series - Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Genre: College, F/M, First Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-03 04:35:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15811485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CovinskyTrash
Summary: The love story of Peter K and Lara Jean Song Covey isn't over after high school. Now in college, a four hour drive separating them, they have new challenges to face and a slew of new adventures to experience, both together and apart!**Spoilers for P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever Lara Jean**





	1. Once a week, a real handwritten letter

On Tuesday afternoons I have the dorm room all to myself. For approximately thirty-seven minutes, both of my roommates have classes at the same time and I am guaranteed a brief reprieve from the constant buzz of our dorm. But it’s not that I don’t love it, because I do! Choosing UNC was the best decision and I can never thank Chris enough for pushing me to visit the campus, experience it for myself and jump right in.

When Margot told me stories about college and gushed about classes and all the adventures she was having, I looked forward to experiencing it for myself. Never did I imagine it would be so amazing! I always heard about the parties and the freedom and the constant change, but I didn’t realize even the classes would be better.

They put high school to shame. Every day I look forward to thought-provoking discussions; lectures that teach me to think differently about the world. It’s not just studying for the sake of studying anymore. And the libraries...oh the libraries!

My roommates are great too! The day I moved in, Camila Montez greeted me with the biggest smile and a hug that nearly sent me tumbling onto the slim twin bed. She’s a kind, bubbly Puerto Rican girl from Miami with dark ringlets that flow down her shoulders. On move-in day she brought three suitcases full of clothes, a matching powder blue set that stored into one another like nesting dolls. She also brought curtains, rugs and fluffy oversized pillows. Her mother, speaking with a thick accent, spent the afternoon ordering her sons around until our dorm no longer had that generic blandness.

It’s beautiful really! We lofted all the beds so our desks would fit underneath and used the empty space to make a little reading nook. It’s piled high with soft, cozy rugs and pillows. And then they took pastel fabrics of every color, draping them back and forth between the limited furniture to make a canopy. It’s like our whole dorm is a little fort, beaming with color.

Penny Jefferson is our other roommate. While Camila and I had our entire families in tow, she showed up on her own, a single duffel bag in hand.  
Originally from Oregon, she’s at UNC on a soccer scholarship and literally trains every day. She made friends with the whole soccer team since they train during the summer. We get invited to all of their parties and they celebrate after every game, whether they win or lose. Between the soccer team and the other friendly girls on our floor, our room is always bustling with people, music playing constantly. Which is why Tuesday afternoons are so significant.

I run out of my literature class, cutting through the lawns, with my books tucked into my denim book bag. My fingers trace the square envelope in the front pocket of my bag before I dig through to pull out my dorm key. I’m out of breath as I plop down on the pink bean bag chair next to my bed and pull out Peter’s letter. One every week, like clockwork.

_Dear Lara Jean,_

_You were right. The McGregor room is the coolest place to study on campus! Last Sunday I picked out the biggest chair and sat down to read an entire book. An ENTIRE book, in one day. You would have been so proud! When you come down to visit, we can spend a whole day in there reading those cheesy romance novels you love. Pick out a good one for me!_

_So I was thinking about our Halloween costumes. I still maintain that you should go as Mary Jane and I can be Spiderman because we both know that I killed it in that costume! But I can borrow a letterman’s jacket from my roommate and go as the kid from Baby Driver and you can be his girlfriend. You could wear those cute knee-high socks and borrow the boots from your sister. Think about it! Also, Spiderman isn’t off the table yet._

_Whatever you decide, I can’t wait. I didn’t realize how hard it’d be without you here. I’m jealous of all the guys at UNC who get a whiff of your coconut shampoo as you walk through campus. I wish it was you in my statistics class, passing notes back and forth like we used to in chem. I’m sure you’re crushing it over there, getting good grades and hanging with your friends but I really miss you Covey!_

_Yours truly,_

_Peter K._

I hug the letter to my chest. Every week he sends one and every week I’m conflicted. Each letter makes my heart break all over again, mourning the distance between us but reminding me of how special he is, how sweet Peter can be. I fall in love with him all over again.

But I’m abruptly interrupted when the door clicks open and Penny strolls in with a parade of her teammates not far behind. I don’t get a chance to put the letter with the others, in the top drawer of my desk, before they see it.

“What’s that?” Penny’s friend Maddie asks.

“Probably a love letter from her boyfriend,” Penny chimes in. “He writes them all the time. It’s actually really sweet.”

“That’s adorable!” Maddie gushes. “How long have you two been together?”

“Almost three years,” I say.

Crossing the room, I put the letter with the others for safekeeping, then hop onto my desk, dangling my legs over the side. They ask me a million questions about Peter and I coyly answer every one. I like talking about Peter. It makes me miss him a little less. At least until we drift toward a conversation that’s been weighing on me.

“He’s a cutie!” Maddie says, admiring the photo of us at prom. “He’s probably an ace in the sack.”

I pause for a moment, considering how to respond. Then I meekly plop my head in my hands. “I wouldn’t know.”

“Three years together and you guys haven’t…?” says a girl named Lori.

“We almost did once,” I explain. “But it was complicated. And then we both left for school.”

“So you have plans, next time you see him, right?” Penny asks.

“Maybe,” I say with a sigh. “I don’t really want to force it. That’s how things went south last time.”

Before the conversation turns, Camila bursts in. I’m so relieved for the interruption, eager to change the topic, but everyone is quiet at the sight of her.

“What were we talking about?” she asks.

“LJ’s hot boyfriend!” Maddie pipes up. “And how they haven’t done it yet.”

“So, you’ve never…?” Camila asks me, a note of concern in her voice.

I shake my head. She sits down next to me, resting her feet on the desk chair.

“Are you thinking about it?” she asks me.

“Pretty much constantly,” I reply.

“Alright,” she giggles, “when are you seeing him again?”

“I don’t know,” I say with a shrug. “I’m trying to visit for Halloween but he’s at UVA. It’s gonna take me like six hours and two different buses to get there. I didn’t realize being apart was going to be so hard.”

“We can take my car!” Lori chimes in.

We all turn to look at her, arms crossed over her chest with a triumphant look on her face.

“You’d really drive me to Virginia?” I ask.

“Sure!” she replies. “I mean, who am I to come between a love so pure. Get your man, Lara Jean!”

“Wait, I thought freshmen couldn’t have cars,” Camila pries.

“We’re not supposed to,” Lori explains. “My mom’s a professor here and I grew up close by. So technically we’d be taking my mom’s car but I’m sure it’s fine. She’s totally supportive of me visiting other schools...something about new experiences.”

“Then why’d you go here?” Penny asks.

“Free tuition, no student loans,” she rattles off.

“So it’s settled!” Maddie cheers. “Halloween weekend, we’re going to Virginia. Tell your boy LJ!”

I’m literally smiling from ear to ear while the girls bounce around the room. We spend the rest of the afternoon brainstorming costumes and plotting the whole weekend while the regale me with sex tips, some more warranted than others.

The conversation continues through dinner and even after when we’re sprawled around the common room. The girls eventually disperse and then Cami and I go back to our room. She settles onto her bed, pulling out a textbook and starts highlighting. That’s when I pull out my phone and dial Peter’s number.

“Hey,” I hear his voice and already know he’s smiling.

“I have good news,” I tell him. “I got a ride to Virginia for Halloween.”

“That’s great!” he says enthusiastically.

“There’s four of us, though,” I explain. “We’ve got to find a place for all of them to stay too.”

“Leave that to me,” Peter replies. “I just can’t wait to see you!”

“Me too,” I say. “I love you, Peter K.”

“I love you too, Covey,” he tells me.

And then he dives into all of the costume ideas he’s brainstormed since he sent me his last letter. We talk for awhile, until my eyes are heavy with sleep and I finally have to say good night.


	2. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worlds collide when UNC's football team plays at UVA on Halloween weekend and Lara Jean makes a road trip out of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is reading! Like most of you I've been watching the movie on replay, binged the books and now can't seem to get this story out of my mind. 
> 
> This hasn't been beta-read because I was just in too much of a hurry to post! But if anyone out there wants to beta for the upcoming chapters (or other writers who need a beta and want to exchange) please let me know :)
> 
> If you want more, leave a comment or find me on tumblr @covinskytrash where you can send me all sorts of prompts and feedback or just all around gush about these two adorable lovers!

It ends up only being four of us since Penny had to stay behind to work on a group project but I really think she just wanted the room all to herself for a weekend. Fine with me since I would be spending all weekend with my handsome boyfriend, seeing him again for the first time in over two months.

Being that it is our first college road trip, we split up all the responsibilities. Lori, obviously, was driving and Camila sat in the front seat to navigate. Maddie’s job is to pick out the music since her older brother works in A&R and always has the new stuff. I’m on snack duty, which I kicked off by borrowing Lori’s mom’s oven and making three different desserts; chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars and seven-layer brownies. With an extra batch of each for Peter, of course!

The sun was just beginning to set when we pulled out of Lori’s driveway so I let Peter know we’d get in a little late, which he said was fine since that gave him enough time to shower after lacrosse practice. And even though Maddie is doing her best to distract us all from the long drive, all I can think about is how Peter smells in his jersey after a game. It’s like, I’ve been looking forward to being together for so long, but these last three hours are interminable. At least that’s what I’m thinking until Lori pulls off the highway and I start recognizing all the buildings as we drive by.

“Almost there!” Camila squeals, turning around to squeeze my hand. She’s almost as excited as I am.

“Thanks you guys!” I tell them, tapping my feet as the nerves start to settle. “You’re gonna love UVA, I promise!”

“Of course we are!” Maddies replies. “The parties, the football game…”

I forgot about that. Coincidentally, UVA was playing UNC in football so the girls had already planned to go to that, seeing as Lori has her eye on the quarterback. He’s cute too, but not as cute as Peter.

“We’re here!” Camila says finally, as we pull into the visitor’s lot.

Lori shuts the car off and we scramble out, picking out bags out of the backseat before walking the path to Peter’s dorm. I’ve been to UVA a bunch of times but it’s different at night, and I never really went to the dorms so it’s lucky we have Camila who’s a genius when it comes to directions. She pulls out her phone and looks up a campus map that leads us right to the locked door of Peter’s building, where he’s already waiting for me, sitting on the stone ledge.

I’m so excited I can’t even muster a word. But pure reflexes kick in when I see him. My bag drops to the ground and I jump into his arms, locking my ankles around his waist. And then he kisses me, a sweet, clumsy kiss because we are both so giddy we can’t stop smiling.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispers when we finally pull apart. I hug him again, tightly, squeezing with every ounce of strength I have. He does the same, until it’s been so long that Maddie clears her throat loudly.

“Shit, sorry,” Peter says, gently placing me back on the ground. “So who are your friends?”

“My roommate Cam,” I introduce her. “And this is Maddie, and Lori who drove us here.”

“Welcome to UVA, ladies,” he sees, smiling wide and shooting me a wink.

He goes around picking up all our bags and then opens the door to let us all in, just like a gentleman. Peter lucked out at UVA. He and a bunch of the lacrosse players share a suite. So it’s two to a room but they have a lounge area they share. Not like us who are crammed, three to a room. But even with all that space, it still somehow has that lingering boy smell.

“Alright.” Peter claps his hands together.

He gives us a quick tour, showing us the shared bathroom, that looks more like a locker room than the one I grew up sharing with my sisters. There are five rooms in total, each with two beds. Peter exudes his usual confidence as he shows my friends around, charming him in that uniquely Kavinsky way and I find myself falling in love with him all over again as we stop in front of the largest room.

“So the guys who live here went to New Orleans for the weekend,” he explains. “They left me the key so you girls can stay in here. I already washed and changed the sheets for you, promise.”

They laugh, already smitten with his charm and grab their bags to start settling in.

“So which one is your room?” I ask.

“Oh, you want the full tour?” he teases. I nod, blushing a soft pink.

Peter grabs my hand, leading me down the hall to what looks like the smallest room. It’s got the standard dorm-issued furniture, two desks, two dressers, two beds. I immediately know which one is Peter’s side, because the scrapbook I made him is centered neatly on his desk. I squeeze his hand to keep from crying because I’m so overwhelmed with emotions.

“Like it?” he asks. I nod. A soft whimper escaping my lips. I think he can feel the way my body trembles and he pulls me into his side, holding me tight.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispers.

Then his lips are on mine again, we’re kissing in a way I’ve never felt before, deep and longing and meaningful. He pauses for a moment to scoop me into his arms and then we’re on his bed, which normally would make me nervous and tingly, but this time it doesn’t. Because Peter just holds me.

He’s sitting down with me on his lap, not kissing, or even looking at me. He just grabs my hand and traces a heart against my palm before locking his fingers in between mine and nestling his head in the crook of my shoulder. We sit like that for a long time, my idle fingers running through his soft hair.

“We should do something,” he says finally. “It’s still kind of early and I want to show you off.”

“Like a party?” I offer.

“Mhmm.” His voice is sleepy. “Think your friends are up for it?”

“I’m sure they are,” I say laughing. “Let me go get them.”

“Alright, I’ll get changed,” he says, pushing me off his lap.

The girls are practically bouncing out of their seats when I tell them to get ready. But an hour later they’re still clamoring over each other to get a good look in the mirror. I tried to sneak away to fluff up my hair and put on some lip gloss but Peter would barely let me out of his sight. Not that I minded too much. It’s heaven being able to share an armchair with him after all this time apart.

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re so beautiful.”

I don’t even get a chance to respond when his roommates walk in the door and sprawl around the sitting room.

“The infamous Lara Jean Covey,” one of them says, winking at Peter.

“These are the guys,” he tells me.

Kevin is the tallest, even taller than Peter, and they share a room. Then there’s Marcus and Brett, who are the oldest and get the biggest room. Finally Kyle and Frankie who are sophomores. They devour the baked goods I brought, leaving just a plate of crumbs in a matter of minutes.

“I’ll send you some more,” I promise Peter, when he only gets one cookie.

“You probably shouldn’t,” he responds, resting a hand on his stomach. “I really need to keep in shape before the season starts.”

That’s when I realize he does look a little bulkier. In a good way. His face is sharper and his arms stretch out the sleeves of his shirts a bit. But he’s still Peter K. That same goofy grin that lights up the room and sparkly eyes. The way he makes me feel special with just a glance. I’ve zoned out just staring at him when the girls finally stroll out, practically tripping over each other when they see Peter’s roommates.

“We ready?” he asks, oblivious to all the eye flirting that’s being passed across the room.

“Let’s go,” I say, hopping up.

Peter takes my hand, clasping his fingers around mine and we skip out behind everyone else. The girls brush up against the boys and we make our way toward a house off campus where lots of the lacrosse players live together. They greet peter with a fist bump as we walk in the door and he makes sure to introduce me to everyone! My head is spinning with faces and names by the time we walk out to the yard where beer pong is set up on a couple tables.

“Beer?” he asks me. I nod and he returns a few minutes later holding two plastic cups, sloshing with pale amber liquid.

For a second, it all feels normal, like we’re back in high school at one of those house parties while the parents are away. But it’s different now. We don’t have to rush out at midnight to make it home before my curfew and tonight I’ll be sleeping in Peter’s bed, maybe even more than just sleeping. And then on Sunday, we pack up our things and say goodbye all over again.

I think Peter notices that my thoughts are starting to wander because he pulls me close and asks if I want to get out of there. I hesitate a moment before nodding yes, and then we look for my friends. When we find the girls, they are shrieking and laughing with absolutely no intention of leaving. So once I make sure Peter’s roommates can walk them back home safely, we take off.

It’s a little further from this side of town, but we walk to the diner and then it really starts to feel like we’re back in high school. We split a plate of fries but mostly we just talk. He tells me about lacrosse practice and little anecdotes about all the guys on the team. It’s the same old Peter, fast friends with everyone. And I tell him about school, my classes, all the little reasons that being at Chapel Hill makes me not miss him so much.

He pays the bill when we’re done and we take our time walking back to his dorm. By the time we get inside, his roommates are back, flirting with my friends, and half-eaten bowls of Easy Mac are scattered around the room. We say goodnight and sneak into his room which prompts my heart to start beating fast.

This is it. We’re finally going to do it. And even though I love Peter, have loved him for a long time now...it’s scary.

“You alright?” he asks, leaning against the bedpost.

“Just a little nervous,” I tell him.

“Lara Jean, is this about sex?” he asks. I shrug only for him to give me a pointed look. “We promised to be honest with each other.”

I nod. “Yes.” I take a deep breath. “I thought I was ready. I had this whole plan, I even packed...like sexy...lingerie. But now I’m not so sure. I mean, your roommate could walk in any second and I’m...I’m...I’m just not ready.”

“Hey, hey,” he says, crossing the room to pull me into his chest. “As much as I’d love to see you in that lingerie, I don’t want to have sex because it’s something you think you need to check off a list. I’d really rather go to sleep right now with you. Just sleep. You okay with that?”

“Yeah,” I say softly. I smile at him. He always makes me feel better, safe, comfortable. “I better go get changed.”

“If you’re changing into lingerie,” he tells me, “at least put on a robe or borrow one of my sweatshirts. Don’t need my roommates getting any ideas.”

“I love it when you’re jealous,” I tell him. He smarts, then breaks into a smile before kissing me softly. “Be right back!”

I don’t put on the skimpy two piece Camila helped me pick out, shoving that deeper into my bag for another day. Maybe I’ll even return it. Instead I slip into a satin pink romper with lace accents. I’ve worn it before but taking a look in the mirror I realize no one’s seen me in this except for my sisters. I throw on my big gray sweater for good measure.

The lights are off when I get back to Peter’s room, except for a tiny lamp on his desk. He’s sitting up against the pillows, scrolling through his phone but puts it down when he sees me. He pats the empty space next to him and I leap across the room to curl up against his side. I feel his soft lips against my forehead as I burrow under the sheets with him.

“What’s this?” Peter asks coyly, his fingers grazing the soft fabric of my pajamas, sliding dangerously close to places he’s never touched before.

I swat his hand away playfully. “Hey! Just sleeping.”

“You’re killing me, Covey,” he whispers, lips brushing against my cheek.

I melt all over again and Peter tilts my face up to kiss him. Sweetly, taking his time. I hadn’t realized how much I missed this part of our relationship. When he finally pulls away, it’s just to turn off the light before he pulls the covers up over us both. In between kisses we fall asleep, his arm curled around my waist and my head tucked into the crook of his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

The first thing I hear in the morning is chatter from the lounge. I vaguely make out Camila’s giggle, the one that only comes out when she’s flirting. Peter stirs next to me, hugging my body close to him as he hums against my ear. Even in the throes of sleep he can still carry a tune. I fall back to sleep probably a dozen more times before I wake up in an empty bed. I’m about to text Peter when he opens the door, sweat sliding down his neck, pooling at the collar of his shirt, a greasy paper bag in his hand.

“Donuts?” I ask.

“Mocha sugar,” he replies. “Eat up while it’s still warm.”

I take a bite, letting the buttery dough dissolve on my tongue, and Peter excuses himself to take a shower. As promised, we spend the afternoon in the McGregor room. Peter picks out one of the pink-spined paperbacks I shoved in my duffel and we find the coziest chaise positioned perfectly beneath the window.

I’m nestled between his legs, curled up against his chest with my own book in hand. It’s hard to even focus on what I’m reading when the smell of musky books mingles with the fresh scent of Peter’s detergent. It doesn’t help that he chuckles nearly every time he turns the page, guffawing sometimes at the camp, or at least I hope it’s the camp. Somewhere between chapters six and seven I fall asleep, only waking up when Peter chuckles.

“Sorry,” he tells me. “I didn’t realize you were sleeping.”

“It’s okay,” I reply. “What’s so funny?”

“This book!” he says. “It’s just like us. Pretending to date when they both are clearly so in love with each other.”

“Yeah?” I smile, turning around to face him. “When did you know we were in love?”

“Probably the same time you did, right after that kiss in seventh grade.”

“That wasn’t real love,” I tell him.

“Oh, you want the deep stuff?” I nod. He takes a deep breath. “It was that day at your house....you and Kitty were picking out Christmas cookie recipes. Josh came over that day and that’s when I knew. That’s when I realized I was jealous of what you two had, whatever that was, and I didn’t want to lose you when he finally realized what he was missing.”

It’s so sweet I can’t stop myself from kissing Peter. Not a sweet kiss, it’s the yearning kind that keeps me craving more and makes me second guess why we haven’t taken the next step. But just like that it’s over when my friends show up, Peter’s roommates in tow. They clear their throats loudly and we break away, but not before Peter gives them all a death glare. It’s probably for the best though since it’s getting dark and we all need to get to the football game.

I wear one of Peter’s lacrosse jerseys, just like I used to in high school, and tie my braids with ribbons of the school’s colors. The girls split up to go sit on the away side but Camila stays back, letting Marcus hold her hand as we walk down to the the field. I still don’t understand anything about the game and Peter doesn’t bother explaining it to me for the millionth time. We have better things to do, like cuddle and sneak kisses. At least until the game ends in a tie, which is probably for the best!

There’s a big Halloween party after the game and I can feel Peter is itching to show me his costume. I already know what is, of course. We picked the theme out together. But Peter never does Halloween halfway. I shouldn’t even be surprised at the dedication but my mouth still drops open when I see him all decked out. He’s dressed in dark green surplus pants, tucked into brown combat boots, and a worn cotton shirt held down by suspenders and a heavy coat. His hair is slicked to the side, a few tendrils falling just above his eyes. He looks handsome, the way old movie stars used to look.

“You look amazing,” he tells me, before I get a word out.

His eyes pan up and down, taking in the Wonder Woman outfit I sewed together from different thrift shop finds. It’s a little itchy in places and way too cold for an October night, but Peter remedies that by taking off his fur-lined coat and wrapping it around my shoulders. I decide we make a pretty good couple.

Everyone else seems to think so too, snapping photos of us as Peter introduces me to all the friends I haven't’ met yet. There are three other Wonder Women and we all take a shot together before Peter whisks me away, reminding me that I’m a lightweight. He’s sweet like that.

I’m still wearing Peter’s coat as we walk back to his dorm at the end of the night. This time we don’t disappear into his room to have another uncomfortable talk about sex, or more lack thereof. Tonight we hang out with his roommates and my friends, save for Lori who is undoubtedly spending the night with UNC’s quarterback. All of us pile around the lounge sharing a couple boxes of pizza.

Peter and I share the loveseat, sprawled out horizontally with me sitting in his lap. He plays with the loose scraps of fabric that make up my skirt, using any excuse to brush against my thigh. I realize I don’t hate it. It’s nice having Peter so close without my sisters or curfew in our way. This is what it would have been like if I had gotten into UVA. It would have been comfortable and easy and I wonder if I ever would have decided to leave Charlottesville.

But then I would be doing this every night, sitting around with Peter’s roommates. I’m not sure that I would have made my own friends or gone on my own adventures. And I definitely never would have met Camila. So I guess it’s good that I went out of state. It makes these moments with Peter all the more special.

“Ready for bed?” Peter asks when he notices I’ve drifted off.

I nod and he swoops me up into his arms, carrying me into his empty room. He turns around while I sleepily change out of my costume and into one of his comfy gym shirts. He doesn’t peek until I rest my hands on his shoulders and then he pulls me in for a hug.

“It’s so good to have you here,” he whispers.

 

* * *

 

I had told my dad I was coming home and he probably has an inkling that I spent a night or two at Peter’s, but I couldn’t come back to Virginia without seeing Kitty. So on Saturday morning, after seeing Peter off to Lacrosse training, all the girls pile into Lori’s car and we drive over to the house I grew up in.

The house is bustling when we walk in. My dad is cleaning up breakfast and Trina is in the yard, planting hydrangeas. Kitty comes running, all the pups following behind, when she sees me, gushing about how it’s been so long and how cool my friends are. They immediately fall in love with her!

I show them around the house, which has changed a little since I was last here. More of Trina’s furniture has replaced ours and photos of Kitty have popped up everywhere, something I’m sure she had a heavy hand in executing. We all put our bags down in my room and the girls spread out, scouring through my old yearbooks and digging through stacks of romance novels. After they get their fill of my old memories, Camila puts on an old CD and we pile onto the bed to chit chat. Kitty joins in soon after, crawling into my lap even though she’s starting to get taller than me now.

Afterward Kitty shows me her Halloween costume which is from some new TV show I’ve never heard of. But she looks very cool in it with an electric blue wig and some sort of magic hammer. She’s still wearing it when Peter shows up at the door. He’s not here for me though, it’s his weekly date with Kitty.

She shows off her costume to which he applauds voraciously but then ushers her to get changed so they don’t miss their movie. Every time Kitty tells me about their adventures together I fall in love with him all over again.

While they’re out Camila offers to make dinner, slow roasted pork and a medley of vegetables and potatoes and I get started on the recipe Kitty left for me, triple chocolate cake. Maddie and Lori help out where they can but mostly accept sips of wine from Trina.

“What?” Trina says, shrugging when my dad shoots her a look. “They’re staying here tonight. Besides, they probably get up to far worse at school.”

It’s my turn to shoot her a look when I see the way my dad’s face goes pale. Trina mouths a sorry and goes back to her wine. But I notice she doesn’t open another bottle after that.

We’re setting the table when Kitty shows up with Peter in tow. She tells us all about the movie and my dad steals Peter away for a reprieve from the girl talk. I swear, my dad loves him more than I do sometimes.

Dinner is loud and happy, the way holidays are when all of our family is together. Kitty wedges herself in the center, between Peter and me but across from my friends. She wants to be involved in every conversation, absorbing each morsel of the evening. I wonder what it’s like for her here by herself most of the time. It makes me so grateful for Peter who manages to make time for her every week. We’re all really lucky to have him in our lives.


End file.
